Chrysalis Vineyards
Chrysalis is a modern, moderate-sized winery located in beautiful Middleburg, VA, about halfway between Chantilly and Winchester on Route 50. The drive out there into Virginia’s Horse and Wine country is beautiful, and nearby villages offer quaint shopping and roadside antiques if you want to make a day of the visit to the winery.
Chrysalis is the largest grower of the Norton Grape on the East Coast. The Norton grape once stood among the world’s finest species of grape, but the fruit was almost lost due to the American Civil war and the purges of the vineyards in the Prohibition years. Fortunately, small parishes and churches kept the fruit alive for use in sacrament ceremonies, and Chrysalis has revitalized it, and it flourishes now in Middleburg.
Most of Chrysalis’ wines are on the expensive side, and this year, many were short on taste. For instance, I was looking forward to tasting the Chardonnay again. I had some at the winery back in 2004 and remembered it fondly for its buttery, oaken taste. But this year’s was dry, with a taste of apples, but the buttery oaken taste was gone. You could see the difference in the two vintages too at the cash register. The old 2002 Chardonnay that I loved was on display with 9 medals hanging from the bottle from the many awards it had won. The newer brand only had one medal.
Rather than go on about the other flavors that didn’t appeal to me, I will tell you what I did like: The Sarah’s Patio Red and the Norton Estate. The Sarah’s Patio red is a dark blush wine with a sweet berry taste that is perfect chilled for sipping in the shade on a warm day. The wine is named for the daughter of a previous 19th century landowner of the vineyard, Sara Lynn, whose grave and headstone is next to the tasting patio. The Norton Estate is a very dark red wine made from the Norton Grapes, and it has a rich, earthy taste that would go great with a grilled steak. I took home a couple of bottles of this fine-tasting wine.
The vineyard’s guest area is large and hosts events throughout the year, and could accommodate large parties under its expansive sheltered picnic tables, and it has a large barbecue on grounds for cooking lots of meat. The place would be great for corporate events, weddings or other celebrations.
